It’s a winner: The Louisiana Lottery Corporation has selected Zehnder Communications, which has offices in Baton Rouge, as its agency of record. Under the agreement, the financial details of which were not released, Zehnder will handle all media buying and planning for the Lottery’s advertising efforts. Zehnder was chosen through a competitive process, saying its in-house research and analytics division, which offers comprehensive and customized data gathering and analysis, played an important role in its selection. “We look forward to using our research and analysis capabilities to help the Lottery purchase advertising in the most effective and efficient ways possible,” says Joann Habisreitinger, Zehnder media director, in a prepared statement.
Coastal focus: Louisiana’s four major candidates running for governor will discuss coastal issues at a forum to be held on Tuesday next week at Nicholls State University in Thibodeaux. The forum is being organized by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, in conjunction with 26 partner agencies. Republicans Scott Angelle, Jay Dardenne and David Vitter, along with Democrat John Bel Edwards, have committed to attend, the coalition says, adding that this will be the first forum at which all of the candidates have addressed coastal issues. The forum is open to the public and no reservations are required. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the forum to begin at 4 p.m. in the Peltier Auditorium on campus. The forum will also be streamed live on the CRCL website, as well as being rebroadcast on Cox4 in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 10 p.m.
High five: Louisiana small business owners who participated in an annual survey by consumer service website Thumbtack.com graded the state an A for its business friendliness, landing the state in the top five nationally, according to the website’s annual Small Business Friendliness Survey. Complete results for Louisiana will be published at the website on Tuesday. Louisiana also received an A grade in last year’s survey, when it was also ranked No. 5 nationally for small business friendliness. Louisiana also earned an A+ grade for its regulatory environment, which included licensing, tax, and labor rules, and an A for ease of starting a business. Louisiana’s worst category grade was a B- for its zoning regulations.
